In accordance with the prior art, a machine for packaging cigarette packets is connected to a machine designed to further wrap the cigarettes by means of a conveyor along which there is provided a store designed to offset the different output rates of the two machines.
In conveyor apparatus of the known type, if the output of the two machines is fully synchronized the packets produced by the packaging machine are supplied in single file to the further wrapping machine. In the case of stoppage or slowing down of the output of one of the two machines, the packets are inserted in groups into the store or removed therefrom as necessary.
For example, if "tower" stores are used, the groups of packets are transferred during storage by means of thrust elements from the conveyor to the lower end of the store within which the groups themselves are stacked. As a result of this arrangement, the packets of cigarettes are subjected to pressures which may damage them as a result of the comparatively great height of these stores.
Stores are also known which are disposed in positions above the conveyor and formed by closed circuit conveyor belts to which there is rigidly connected a plurality of walls each two of which define compartments designed to contain groups of packets.
In cases in which the output of the two machines is synchronized the packets moving onto the conveyor pass through a compartment of the store. If the two machine do not then operate in a synchronized manner, for example if the further wrapping machines stops, the conveyor belt rotates about its end rollers taking a group of packets from the conveyor and moving a new empty compartment into the path of the latter. When, in contrast, the packaginq machine stops, the conveyor belt rotates about its end rollers in the direction opposite to the above direction thereby moving a compartment containing a group of packets into a position above the said conveyor
The stored groups of packets are retained within the respective compartments by a fixed fairing winding around the store and having a gap in the vicinity of the supply conveyor
This type of store, in addition to drawbacks linked to the use of belts or bands which may become worn and subject to play in the long term which is detrimental to correct operation, does not enable gentle handling of the packets of cigarettes both during storage and transfer to the conveyor.
It has been observed that, during the take-up and transfer of the groups of packets by the store, the packets may contact the edge of the fixed fairing and the edge of the conveyor with particularly damaging results in the case of soft packs.
In known apparatus, further possible damage to the packets may occur in the position in which the conveyor is inserted into the store. Stop means are operative in this position and are formed for example by oscillating bars or take-up means which operate fairly violently in order to stop the flow of packets from the packaging machine after the completion of each group so as to enable the store to remove the group from the conveyor
It has also been observed that as a result of slight and unpredictable variations in the size of the packets, the longitudinal dimension of the group being formed may vary such that it projects beyond the end of the compartment and may interfere with fixed components at the time of rotation of the store.